Mouthwatering Meatballs – Nutrition and Food Safety (2024)

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Mouthwatering Meatballs

Doused with a healthy portion of red sauce, stuffed between crunchy bread, or served bobbing in a piping hot soup, meatballs are prepared and served in nearly limitless ways.

Meatballs are commonly served in marinara sauce. They are made with a mixture of beef and another ground protein. Many people use pork, sausage, veal, or all three. Pork gives meatballs extra flavor, and veal keeps them tender and moist. All-beef meatballs are also another great option. When making all-beef meatballs, it is important to choose an 80/20 blend so the meatballs have enough fat to keep them from drying out. When adding other types of meat, try using a 90/10 ratio.

When making meatballs, there are a few mistakes you can make. The meatballs may be lacking in flavor, tough, chewy, or rubbery. Follow the tips below to create the perfect meatball every time.

  1. Season the meat

If you forget to season the meat or do not add enough seasoning when blending the mixture, expect the meatballs to fall flat on flavor.

If you are unsure of the amount of seasoning to add, try adding what you think is best, then cook up a test meatball. This will allow you to add seasoning to your taste before cooking up the entire batch. I strongly recommend this step so you can adjust the seasonings as needed.

  1. Add moisture

When making meatballs, it is essential to add some moisture. Without moisture, the protein in the meatballs forces them to shrink as they cook and produces a tough meatball. Whether that moisture is eggs or a binder made from milk and bread crumbs is your choice.

  1. Avoid overmixing

When preparing a meatball mixture, something about it makes us feel like it needs to be thoroughly mixed. The amount the meat is mixed has a direct impact on the texture of the meatball. We miss out on a very tender meatball when the meat is overworked.

  1. Correctly shape

When making meatballs, you should not be squishing them into super-tight, compact rounds. If the meatballs are packed together too tightly, they will cook up rubbery, chewy, and tough.

  1. Uniform size

If the meatballs are different sizes, they will cook unevenly. The smaller meatballs may end up dry and overcooked, while the larger ones may end up undercooked.

Many make meatballs by grabbing small amounts of meat mixture and then rolling it into a ball. When doing this, the meatballs may be different sizes, so try these two methods to get more uniform meatballs.

Use a small ice cream scoop to make perfectly round meatballs of the same size. Scoop the meatball mixture into the palm of your hand. After scooping, smooth it out into a round meatball by gently rolling it in your hands.

Another method is to pat the meatball mixture out into a big rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Then take a knife and cut through the meat horizontally and vertically to form little squares. Finally, gently roll each square between your palms to change it into a ball.

When looking at meatball recipes, you may find many different ways to cook them. Each cooking method creates a meatball with different textures and flavors, so knowing the differences can help you decide which to use for your recipe.

Pan-searing

Pan-searing is perfect for you if you like meatballs with a slight crunch. The hot pan will cook the meatballs while also adding a thin crust on the outside. Add a splash of red wine to the pan when the meatballs are fully cooked. This will help deglaze the pan and add all the tasty bits into the sauce.

Baking

Baking may be the way to go when you make many meatballs at once because it is quicker and easier than pan-searing. Baking will allow the meatballs to evenly cook while having golden brown surfaces, so you will not have to worry about them being raw in the center.

Boiling

Another cooking technique you can try is to boil the meatballs. This is the best method for keeping the meat tender if that is what you are after, but many chefs find that they fall apart when cooked this way.

Meatballs should be tender and juicy, with irresistible flavors that make you crave more! Pair meatballs with a bed of pasta or in a scrumptious sandwich to create an ultimate comfort meal to brighten your day.

Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Community Vitality and Health Educator

Sources:

  • frugulupstate.com
  • learntocook.com
  • seriouseats.com
  • southernliving.com

Reviewed: June 14, 2023

Mouthwatering Meatballs – Nutrition and Food Safety (1)

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Email: nfs@uwyo.edu

Extension Educator:
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Issued in furtherance of extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Kelly Crane, Director, University of Wyoming Extension, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming Extension, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071.

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Mouthwatering Meatballs – Nutrition and Food Safety (2024)

FAQs

Are meatballs healthy or unhealthy? ›

According to the USDA, 3 ounce serving contains 243 meatball calories and a significant 18.9 grams of fat. In fact, 30 percent of the calories in meatballs comes from fat. Of that total, 6.5 grams are saturated fat — the kind that can increase your risk of heart disease, according to Mayo Clinic.

Are supermarket meatballs healthy? ›

However, like many foods you find in the freezer aisle, frozen meatballs can be high in sodium due to salt acting as a preservative and flavor enhancer. They may also be loaded with saturated fat and calories.

What is the safe temperature for meatballs? ›

Meatballs, being a ground-meat product, must reach a minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for food safety. Use an instant-read thermometer like the Thermapen® or Classic Thermapen to temp the meatballs in the sauce.

Are medium rare meatballs safe? ›

No, it is not safe to eat medium rare burgers. Ground beef should always be cooked thoroughly, whether it is used in meatballs, burgers or spaghetti bolognese. Minced beef is not the same as steak, and must be cooked all the way through to eliminate the risk of food poisoning. Even if it's good quality mince.

What's the most unhealthy meat to eat? ›

try to limit processed meat products such as sausages, salami, pâté and beefburgers, because these are generally high in fat – they are often high in salt, too. try to limit meat products in pastry, such as pies and sausage rolls, because they are often high in fat and salt.

Are meatballs highly processed? ›

Minced meat itself isn't considered processed, but often store-bought burgers or meatballs are due to the extra ingredients included in them. Processed meat includes sausages, bacon, salami, ham, corned beef, hot dogs, and pretty much anything that comes in a tin.

What are the most processed foods to avoid? ›

Ultra processed: Ice cream, ham, sausages, crisps, mass-produced bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavoured yogurts, instant soups, and some alcoholic drinks including whisky, gin, and rum.

Are frozen meatballs high in fat? ›

There are 243 calories in a 3 oz (85.000g) serving size of Meatballs, frozen, Italian style. The calorie breakdown is 70% fat, 11% carbs, and 20% protein.

Which is better pork or beef meatballs? ›

Pork gives the meatballs extra flavor, and veal helps keep them moist and tender. But all-beef meatballs taste great too, as long as you choose an 80/20 blend, which has enough fat to keep the meatballs from drying out. If there are other types of meat in the mix, choose 90/10.

Is it better to bake meatballs at 350 or 400? ›

For 1-2 inches of beef, pork, or turkey meatballs without any pre-cooking, use these guidelines for your wall oven:
  • 350°F wall oven:
  • 8–14 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 14–18 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 400°F wall oven:
  • 6–10 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 10–14 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 425°F wall oven:
Aug 16, 2023

What temperature kills salmonella in ground beef? ›

To destroy harmful bacteria, cook ground beef to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71.1°C).

Should meatballs be pink in the middle? ›

To be sure all harmful bacteria are destroyed, cook all ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 °F throughout. Ground beef can be pink inside after it is safely cooked.

Is it OK to eat slightly undercooked meatballs? ›

Yes, it is dangerous to eat raw or undercooked ground beef because it can contain harmful bacteria. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends not eating or tasting raw or undercooked ground beef. To be sure all bacteria are destroyed, cook meat loaf, meatballs, casseroles, and hamburgers to 160 °F.

How to know if meatballs have gone bad? ›

Perform a smell test

This test is probably the easiest and fastest way to determine whether meat has spoiled. It applies to both raw and cooked ground beef. Though the scent of fresh ground beef is barely perceptible, rancid meat has a tangy, putrid odor. Once it goes bad, it's no longer safe to eat.

How do you tell if meatballs are cooked through? ›

5Place the meatballs down into the hot oil and cook until they are cooked through, the outsides are browned, and they register 165°F in the middle on an instant-read thermometer for about 15 minutes. Depending on the shape or size of your skillet, you might need to do this in two batches.

Are meatballs ok for weight loss? ›

Low-fat, protein-rich meatballs are a simple recipe you can make at home to help on your weight loss journey. These low calorie meatballs make it easy to control your diet with pre-portioned servings. Each 1oz meatball will contain about 55 calories comprised of 6g of protein, 2.5g of carbohydrates, and 2.5g of fat.

How unhealthy are spaghetti and meatballs? ›

A typical serving of white spaghetti (2 cups) with 8 meatballs (6 ounces), sauce (3/4 cup) and Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons), garlic bread, and iceberg lettuce salad has, on average, a whopping 1,495 calories, 70 fat grams, and more than a day's worth of sodium, yet it's shy in vitamins, minerals and other good ...

How many meatballs should a person eat? ›

A quick guide to figure out how many meatballs you need is as follows: If you are serving 2-ounce meatballs you should plan on having 3 meatballs per person. Therefore, for 50 people you will need 150 2-ounce meatballs. These will also be 2-inch meatballs or the size of a golf ball.

What is the benefit of meatballs? ›

Beef meatballs are a healthy meal and snack, according to the AFS diet. They are an excellent source of proteins, containing both beef and eggs, and high-quality vegetables. They can help restore energy, balance hormones, and provide amino acids and nutrients your body needs.

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